SUMMARY
Katharine A. Price, M.D., is a medical oncologist who specializes in treating patients with cancers of the head and neck, including squamous cell cancers of the upper aerodigestive tract and salivary gland cancers.
Dr. Price's primary research interests include new, deintensified treatments for patients with throat (oropharyngeal) cancer related to human papillomavirus (HPV). She also investigates new therapies for patients with squamous cell cancer of the head and neck, treatments for salivary gland cancer, and cancer survivorship.
Dr. Price is also interested in health equity and is working to improve access to cancer screening and treatment for diverse patient populations and awareness of the importance of HPV vaccination to prevent cancer.
Focus areas
- Novel treatments for HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer. Dr. Price works with a multidisciplinary team, including head and neck surgeons and radiation oncologists, to develop and study less-intensive therapies for patients with HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer. Such therapies would improve long-term quality of life and functional outcomes after head and neck cancer treatment.
- Clinical trials for salivary gland cancer. Dr. Price is also focused on the treatment of patients with salivary gland cancer. She uses her clinical experience and research studies to develop new approaches to treat patients with this rare type of head and neck cancer.
- Cancer survivorship and quality of life. Cancer survivorship is an important component of Dr. Price's research interests. Her investigations focus on how to improve function and quality of life for patients after cancer treatment and how to best support them as cancer survivors.
- Improving access to cancer clinical trials for all patients. Health equity includes ensuring that all patients have access to new cancer treatments through clinical trials. Dr. Price studies the barriers and facilitators to enrollment in cancer clinical trials for patients from diverse backgrounds and underrepresented populations.
- HPV vaccination awareness and education to decrease health disparities. Vaccination against HPV is a safe and effective way to prevent cancer caused by the virus, including 60% to 70% of cancers in the head and neck. Dr. Price is working to increase awareness of the importance of HPV vaccination through educational interventions and research and community outreach.
Significance to patient care
Dr. Price's research spans the entire spectrum of cancer development, from cancer prevention to developing new treatments for patients with cancer. The overarching theme that unites all her research is her desire to improve the lives of the patients she treats and to allow them to have the best possible outcomes from their cancer therapy.
Dr. Price strives to achieve health equity for patients with head and neck cancer through equal access to preventive measures such as vaccinations and effective cancer treatments. She works closely with colleagues in multiple disciplines to provide holistic and personalized cancer care.
Professional highlights
- Mayo Clinic Center for Health Equity and Community Engagement Research
- Executive committee, 2020-present
- Site director, Midwest, 2020-present
- Research Pilot Award for the study "A Mixed-Method Approach to Explore Successful Recruitment and Treatment of Minority Patients on Therapeutic Cancer Clinical Trials at Mayo Clinic," 2020
- Co-chair, Head and Neck Disease Group, Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center, 2011-present
- Program director/principal investigator, MC200708: Phase II Study of Pemetrexed and Pembrolizumab in Recurrent and/or Metastatic Salivary Gland Malignancies, funded by Merck & Co., Inc., 2021-2023